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1967 Toyota Stout - Life Behind Bars

The Pedals And The Metal

By John Mata Jr., Photography by Torrey Loomis

Mini Truckin', April 25, 2014

Wheels are wheels. It doesn’t matter if you get your kicks rolling on four of them at a time, or just two -- the level of soul satisfaction is the same. Erik van Nieuwburg has been into trucks since his impressionable teenage years, but he’s also had a love affair with bicycles for just as long if not longer. The way he sees it, why give up on one when you can combine the two and achieve the ultimate level of indulgence?

With that rationality, Erik kept his eyes peeled for deals on what he considers to be his dream truck. But the hauler he was after just happened to be a little too old to be found on a dealer lot. “The stock Toyota Stout here was found in Chico, California. It was pulled off a farm after sitting 30-plus years. My buddy found it on a Wednesday, and it was mine that Saturday. It sat in my garage for a year while I disassembled it and gathered parts. I had bought a totaled ’93 Toyota Hilux as a donor, so I dropped the trucks off at No Limit Muffler & Fabrication and they combined the two trucks into what I have now.”

I haven’t “outgrown” the things that I love.

And what Erik has is really a glorified means of transportation for his cool ass bikes around. Let’s be honest. He won’t deny it. But even though three stretched out beach cruisers don’t weigh as much as three Harleys, why not throw in a big, stupid engine at it? “I really wanted to go big in the motor department originally. Then I realized I planned to drive this truck … a lot! So I opted to tame my thoughts and go for a more reliable, economical, and bulletproof four-bangin’ 22RE instead.” Good call there.

But why buy and build a Toyota Stout? Out of all the trucks out there he could’ve purchased and brought back to life for the same amount of money he sunk into this this old Toyota, he had options. “I was inspired by Von Chounlamany’s 1967 Toyota Stout that was featured in MT a few years back. Not to sound corny, but it was love at first site, and it really made me want to do something fun.” Forking over the cash to teach an old dog to learn new tricks wasn’t the highlight of Erik’s build, but he’s ecstatic that he finally has what he’s wanted. “The best thing I’ve learned along the way is that my love for minitrucks is stronger than ever. I haven’t “outgrown” the things that I love.”

Special Thanks From Owner

“Thank you to Josh and his staff at No Limit Muffler & Fabrication, he stayed on budget and delivered exactly on time! My 2 daughters for being just as excited for this build as I was! Friends and family that enjoyed watching this project come together.”